Bush

סנח . This word occurs in Exo 3:2; Exo 3:4, and Deu 33:16, as the name of the bush in which God appeared to Moses. If it be the χιονος mentioned by Dioscorides, it is the white thorn. Celsius calls it the rubus fructicosus. The number of these bushes in this region seems to have given the name to the mountain Sinai. The word נהללים , found only in Isa 7:19, and there rendered “bushes.” means fruitful pastures.

Bush. The Hebrew word, seneh, occurs only in those passages which refer to Jehovah’s appearance to Moses, "in the flame of fire in the bush." Exo 3:2-4; Exo 33:16. It is quite impossible to say what kind of thorn bush is intended; but it was probably the acacia, a small variety of the shittim tree, found in the Sinai region.

Exo 3:2. literally, "out of the midst of the bush," namely, that bush of which Moses often spoke to Israel, "the thorny acacia," a pure Egyptian term, sen’eh, Coptic si heno.

(סְנֶה, seneh’; Sept. and N.T. βάτος) occurs in the account of the burning- bush, in which Jehovah manifested himself to Moses at Horeb (Exo 3:2-4; Deu 33:16; 2Es 14:1; 2Es 14:3; Mat 12:26; Act 7:30), and signifies a thorn, more particularly the bramble (q.v.). But Pococke observes that the bramble does not at all grow in these regions. Gesenius states that the Syriac and Arabic word seneh, which is the same as the Hebrew, denotes the senna, folia sennae. We know that this plant is an indigene of Arabia. Rosenmüller inclines to the opinion that the holy bush was of the hawthorn species. Prof. Robinson, in 1838, saw on the mountains of Horeb a willow and two hawthorns growing, with many shrubs, and great quantities of fragrant hyssop and thyme. What particular plant or bush seneh denotes it is difficult to say. See THORN. The professor, while resting at the ancient convent of Sinai, saw the great church. He says, “Back of the altar we were shown the chapel covering the place where the burning-bush is said to have stood, now regarded as the most holy spot in the peninsula; and as Moses put off his shoes in order to approach it, so all who now visit it must do the same. The spot is covered with silver, and the whole chapel richly carpeted. Near by they show also the well from which (as they say) Moses watered Jethro’s flocks” (Researches, 1, 144). SEE BURNING-BUSH.

The Hebrew word rendered “bushes” in Job 30:4; Job 30:7, is שַׂיחִ(si’ach), and means shrubs in general, as in Gen 2:5; Gen 21:15. The only other word so rendered (נִהֲללַים, nahalolim’, margin, “commendable trees”) in our version of Isa 7:19, signifies pastures.

BUSH (βάτος).—Mar 12:26 || Luk 20:37^{* [Note: The parallel passage in Matthew (22:31) omits the reference to ‘the Bush.’]} refers to the ‘Burning Bush’ (Exo 3:2-4, Deu 33:16 where LXX Septuagint uses βάτος to translation סְנָה of the original). Before the [probably mediaeval] division into chapters and verses it was not easy to cite Scripture with precision. ‘In or at the Bush’ (Authorized Version in Mark and Luke respectively) means not ‘beside that memorable bush,’ but ‘in the passage in Scripture describing the theophany in the bush’ ( Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 , ‘in the place concerning the Bush’).

The derivation of סְנָה is not known, and all attempts to identify it have failed.’ There is no justification for the suggestion of Gesenius (, s.v.) that it is connected with the plant, nor for Stanley’s assumption (. of the Jewish Church [ed. 1883], i. 97) that it was the wild acacia. The fact that in the LXX Septuagint it is translated by βάτος shows that it was believed to be a thorn bush. βάτος is specially used of the bramble (Rubus), but according to Post (Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible , s.v. ‘Bush’), ‘Rubus has not been found wild in Sinai, which is south of its range, and climatically unsuited to it.’

βάτος occurs once again in the Gospels: Luk 6:44; Authorized Version and Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 ‘bramble bush’ [Matthew’s parallel (Mat 7:16) has ‘thorns’]. It was thought necessary to alter the translation; the word which in the other passage had such lofty associations is here used by Christ almost with contempt. Moreover, a vine might well enough be described as a ‘bush’ in the abstract; it does not grow high, and has no strength of wood (Ezekiel 15). ‘Bramble’ in older English means ‘thorn bush’ not necessarily ‘blackberry bush.’ Yet the translation seems apt enough, even according to modern usage. Liddell and Scott give βάτος as = ‘blackberry bush’ or ‘wild raspberry,’ but the adjective βατόεις = ‘thorned.’

Robert Mackintosh.

See BURNING BUSH.

BUSH (seneh, Exo 3:2-4, Deu 33:16).—The ‘burning bush’ has traditionally been supposed to be a kind of bramble (Rubus), of which Palestine has several varieties, but one of the thorny shrubs of Sinai of the acacia family would seem more probable. Sacred bushes and trees are common in Palestine and Arabia. ‘In (or at) the bush’ in Mat 12:26 || Luk 20:37 = the passage dealing with the burning bush (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘in the place concerning the bush’).

E. W. G. Masterman.

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(1) (סנה, ṣ^eneh, Exo 3:2-4; Deu 33:16; βάτος, bátos, Mar 12:26; Luk 6:44, “bramble bush”; Luk 20:37; Act 7:30, Act 7:35. All the Old Testament references and the New Testament references, except Luk 6:44, are to the same “bush,” namely, Moses’ “burning bush”). From its etymology ṣ^eneh clearly denotes a “thorny” plant, as does the corresponding batos in the Septuagint and New Testament. In the Latin versions rubus, i.e. “bramble,” is used as equivalent. Several varieties of bramble flourish in Palestine, of which the most common is Rubus discolor, but this is not an indigenous plant in Sinai. It is stated by Post that a bush of this plant has been planted by the monks of the Convent of Catherine at Sinai to the rear of the “Chapel of the Burning Bush.” In spite of tradition there is but little doubt that Moses’ “burning bush” must actually have been a shrub of one of the various thorny acacias, or allied plants, indigenous in the Sinaitic peninsula.

(2) (שׂיח, sı̄^aḥ “plant,” Gen 2:5; “shrub,” Gen 21:15; “bush,” Job 30:4, Job 30:7). In the first reference any kind of plant may be meant, but in the other passages the reference is to the low bushes or scrub, such as are found in the desert.

(3) (נהללים, nahălōlı̄m, the King James Version bushes, the Revised Version (British and American) PASTURES, margin “bushes,” Isa 7:19). The meaning appears to be rather a place for watering flocks, the corresponding Arabic root nahal, having the meaning “to quench one’s thirst,” and the corresponding noun of place, manhal, meaning a watering-place in the desert.

Exo 3:2 (c) This is descriptive of the nation of Israel in which GOD dwelt and yet which suffered from the persecutions of many enemies, yet was not consumed or destroyed.

Deu 33:16 (b) It refers to the unusual character of GOD’s presence on the earth as contrasted with the greatness of Heaven.

Luk 6:44 (b) This is descriptive of a small character who never gives out blessing but injures and damages those who come near him.

A bush is a low, branching, woody plant. A bush is usually smaller than a tree. There are different opinions about the bush from which God appeared to Moses (Exodus 3:2–4). From the biblical account, it seems most likely that this was a miraculous event.

However, some people look for a natural explanation. They believe the burning bush may have been the crimson-flowered mistletoe or acacia strap flower (Loranthus acaciae). This plant grows in great numbers as a partial parasite on various acacia shrubs, such as the thorny acacia (Acacia nilotica). These shrubs grow in Israel and the surrounding areas, as well as Sinai. When in full bloom, the mistletoe makes the shrub or tree appear to be on fire. This happens because its brilliant flame-colored blossoms stand out against the green leaves and yellow flowers of the host plants.

Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.